Tried something new this evening

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

About twice a year, usually after a hot day, I get craving an old fashioned root beer float.  Today was the day and I was out of root beer.  

 

Now, it's only a three minute rive to the nearest place to buy root beer, but I didn't feel like going out again....and I do have some sarsaparilla in the fridge.

 

I now have a new favorite ice cream based hot weather cooler-offer.  May never buy another root beer.

[watab kid]

interesting , would not have thought to do that but then i seldom think to order an ice cream drink[of the alcoholic persuasion] either and i bet id like em on the right hot day 

[Subdeacon Joe]

I prefer it to root beer.  Birch beer also makes a nice float 

[Pat Riot]

I had a sasspirilla float in Albuquerque a long time ago. That was pretty good and I had forgotten about until seeing Forty Rod’s post. 
 

I made a cream soda float one day with Umpqua vanilla ice cream when I lived in Oregon. 
THAT is a dangerous thing. It tasted so good I had visions of myself living on them and then I had the thought of what that would do to my health. 
They are darn good, though. 

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

Orange Nehi and real vanilla ice cream. Or strawberry.

[Rip Snorter]

Everything old is new again!

[Cholla]

Root Beer used to be made from the extract from the roots of the sassafras tree, common to the states east of the Mississippi.

 

The extract was thought to be a cure-all for everything. When we were still British subjects, it was required that male subjects dig up and send a certain amount of sassafras roots back to merry old England as a form of tax. The wood of sassafras was thought to ward off evil spirits and people would make cradles, bible boxes, spoons, and other items from it.

 

In the late 50s-early 60s, sassafras extract was found to have cancer-causing agents in the oil. In the same study, beer and wine were also found to cause cancer, even more so than sassafras. But, the beer and wine industry had more money for lobbyists so sassafras was banned and the beer and wine report was swept under the rug.

 

These days, some folk-remedy folks still dig up sassafras roots to make root beer and tea. The tea is a natural blood thinner.

 

Some twenty years ago I made nice money selling sassafras roots on ebay and locally as an aromatic agent, as it did smell great. Some folks bought it to use for tea and root beer.

 

These days, there is an extract available in some stores that is used to make root beer. The cancer-causing agent has been removed.

I believe Sarsaparilla made in the USA is supposed to replicate the taste of the original root beer.

 

I should add, some have written that sassafras wood is termite and rot-resistant. That is hogwash. We had hundreds of sassafras trees on our property back in Indiana. I used it to make log beds. I had to cut three times as much as I needed as often a healthy-looking tree would be rotten inside!

 

 

[Rip Snorter]

10 minutes ago, Cholla said:

Root Beer used to be made from the extract from the roots of the sassafras tree, common to the states east of the Mississippi.

 

The extract was thought to be a cure-all for everything. When we were still British subjects, it was required that male subjects dig up and send a certain amount of sassafras roots back to merry old England as a form of tax. The wood of sassafras was thought to ward off evil spirits and people would make cradles, bible boxes, spoons, and other items from it.

 

In the late 50s-early 60s, sassafras extract was found to have cancer-causing agents in the oil. In the same study, beer and wine were also found to cause cancer, even more so than sassafras. But, the beer and wine industry had more money for lobbyists so sassafras was banned and the beer and wine report was swept under the rug.

 

These days, some folk-remedy folks still dig up sassafras roots to make root beer and tea. The tea is a natural blood thinner.

 

Some twenty years ago I made nice money selling sassafras roots on ebay and locally as an aromatic agent, as it did smell great. Some folks bought it to use for tea and root beer.

 

These days, there is an extract available in some stores that is used to make root beer. The cancer-causing agent has been removed.

I believe Sarsaparilla made in the USA is supposed to replicate the taste of the original root beer.

 

I should add, some have written that sassafras wood is termite and rot-resistant. That is hogwash. We had hundreds of sassafras trees on our property back in Indiana. I used it to make log beds. I had to cut three times as much as I needed as often a healthy-looking tree would be rotten inside!

 

 

That takes me back in time! When I was a kid we used to make Sassafras tea over little fires we built.  I recall the odor more than the taste. 

[Cholla]

1 hour ago, Rip Snorter said:

That takes me back in time! When I was a kid we used to make Sassafras tea over little fires we built.  I recall the odor more than the taste. 

Yes. I loved the smell but didn't care for the tea.

[Utah Bob #35998]

14 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I had a sasspirilla float in Albuquerque a long time ago. That was pretty good and I had forgotten about until seeing Forty Rod’s post. 
 

I made a cream soda float one day with Umpqua vanilla ice cream when I lived in Oregon. 
THAT is a dangerous thing. It tasted so good I had visions of myself living on them and then I had the thought of what that would do to my health. 
They are darn good, though. 

Yes. I was going to mention that. But it’s best forgotten and banished from my memory.

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

I always thought Root Beer was Sarsaparilla???

 

https://thekitchencommunity.org/sarsaparilla-vs-root-beer/

 

 

 

.

[Rye Miles #13621]

My mom would make them and when we had no root beer she would use Coca Cola or Pepsi. Pretty good too!!

[Cholla]

I think root beer has become like maple syrup vs table syrup. It may say maple syrup on the label but most table syrups are corn syrup with flavoring. Sometimes a small amount of maple syrup is added. When people try real maple syrup, they wonder what is wrong with it. It's thinner and tastes totally different. Cracker Barrel still offers the real thing. I suspect root beer tasted different 100 years ago but we have gotten used to the artificial flavoring.

 

I used to make maple syrup back in Indiana. It was a ton of work that lasted well into the night when boiling.

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Cholla said:

When people try real maple syrup, they wonder what is wrong with it. It's thinner and tastes totally different

 

A good light or medium roast coffee sweetened with the real deal and with a splash of heavy cream .

[Michigan Slim]

2 hours ago, Cholla said:

I think root beer has become like maple syrup vs table syrup. It may say maple syrup on the label but most table syrups are corn syrup with flavoring. Sometimes a small amount of maple syrup is added. When people try real maple syrup, they wonder what is wrong with it. It's thinner and tastes totally different. Cracker Barrel still offers the real thing. I suspect root beer tasted different 100 years ago but we have gotten used to the artificial flavoring.

 

I used to make maple syrup back in Indiana. It was a ton of work that lasted well into the night when boiling.

 

 

I was a firewood slave a time or two.

[Eyesa Horg]

3 hours ago, Cholla said:

used to make maple syrup back in Indiana. It was a ton of work that lasted well

I bet it was the best you ever had too.

[Cholla]

12 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I bet it was the best you ever had too.

It was heaven. But, I have to say warm, fresh, maple sugar is even better. That's from taking the syrup to an even higher temperature and then stirring like crazy until the magic happens.

[Cholla]

1 hour ago, Michigan Slim said:

I was a firewood slave a time or two.

I learned to play guitar tending the fire. My and my Roy Clark Big-Note song book.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

22 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I had a sasspirilla float in Albuquerque a long time ago. That was pretty good and I had forgotten about until seeing Forty Rod’s post. 
 

I made a cream soda float one day with Umpqua vanilla ice cream when I lived in Oregon. 
THAT is a dangerous thing. It tasted so good I had visions of myself living on them and then I had the thought of what that would do to my health. 
They are darn good, though. 

Funny you should say that.  I had just, 3 min earlier, finished a huge bowl of Umpqua Vanilla Ice cream.  In hot weather, I almost live off of the stuff. 

[Eyesa Horg]

9 hours ago, Cholla said:

It was heaven. But, I have to say warm, fresh, maple sugar is even better. That's from taking the syrup to an even higher temperature and then stirring like crazy until the magic happens.

The best part about spring in these parts!

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Oh, crap!  I use a lot of real maple syrup, and have tried one or two of the other suggestions, but now I'll have to go raid the soft drink aisle at the grocery store for, lessee, cream soda, ginger beer, birch beer, Sprite, lemon soda, orange and strawberry Nehi, and maybe some other flavors, too.  BTW, Crystal Lite sweet tea works well, and I'll try some other flavors of theirs.

 

The only one I've tried that I didn't like was Dr.Pepper.  Druther have my DP straight.

[Utah Bob #35998]

Oh nooooo. I found a bottle of cream soda in the back of the fridge. If it hit’s 90° tomorrow I won’t be able to help myself!!

 

[watab kid]

i think ill get some ice cream tomorrow 

[Utah Bob #35998]

16 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Oh nooooo. I found a bottle of cream soda in the back of the fridge. If it hit’s 90° tomorrow I won’t be able to help myself!!

 

It’s 88° right now!! 

[Rip Snorter]

100° and climbing.  Will hit the max round 5:30, probably 105°.  IPA standing by!

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

Yesterday, I was at the local grocery store and, sure enough, A&W root beer and Blue Bell natural vanilla bean ice cream somehow managed to get into my shopping cart.  The root beer float was so delicious!! 

 

 

[Utah Bob #35998]

Rats. Holding stead at 89 and clouds moving in. Looks like we ‘ve peaked for today. Oh well.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Well, that was educational.  I went to find a bottle each of seven or  eight different kinds of soda.  YOU CAN'T BUY ANY SMALLER THAN A 4, 6, OR 12 PACK..... or a huge plastic bottle.  I finally found a single bottle of orange cream at Cracker Barrel.

 

So, I have one new one, plus Coke, Sprite, sarasaparilla and A&W root beer.

 

Drat!!!!

[Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485]

I guess I'll tell a story on myself. About a year ago I took my dog Charlie for a walk, hot day about 90, I was parked near a McDonald's so after the walk I got myself a root beer, and Charlie an ice cream. Well there was too much ice cream for him so I poured out some root beer and took a big scoop of that ice cream and put in the cup, than put the lid with the straw in it back on. Remember in school the kid who made a volcano for a science project? Did you know you can do that in the comfort of your own car with a McDonald's root beer and ice cream? I didn't. First it squirted out the straw, so I pulled the straw out, that made it worse, the straw was a single stream, with it out the geyser came out the slot cut in the lid, four streams, one for each point on the compass. Got me, the wind shield, the entire dash, the seats, my dog was scared to death. Went home scrubbed the cab from top to bottom ( I thought! ) next time I put it gear I found out I missed the shift lever. now everything on my dash sticks, radio buttons, air vents. I haven't had a  root beer float since.